Repatriated Filipinos from Sudan recount horrors of conflict: 'Kahit saan may baril na naririnig'

MANILA — Some Filipinos who got home from Sudan on Saturday night recalled one of the most challenging periods of their lives, with chaos still engulfing the nation.

Irene Toralba, among the 9 Filipino workers who arrived in the country on Saturday night, illustrated the dire situation in Sudan.

"Akala po namin normal lang so nag-stay pa po kami sa bahay. Kinabukasan malakas po 'yung bomba sa paligid ng bahay. Kahit saan pong parte may baril pong naririnig. Magdamag po 'yun," said Torralba, a 26-year-old chef who had been working in Sudan for a year.

"Hanggang sa dumating po 'yung point na sa bintana ng CR namin — doon po naliligo 'yung mother ko — natamaan na 'yung bintana. Praise the Lord lang po na may nakaharang lang po na blanket so 'di po tumalsik sa kaniya 'yung bintana," she said.

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Torralba and her family were forced to stay underground in the house. She was hiding inside a cabinet as her refuge. Her boss saved her by providing a private bus, but Torralba refused to leave without her family.

"Ang sabi ko 'di po ako aalis nang hindi kasama ang family ko... Hindi ko po iniwan ang family ko sabi ko. Anim kami... nag-reserve po kami ng 6 na upuan," she said.

Ronald Andal, 48, lived in Sudan for 14 years and worked as an operator in a printing press.

Andal's situation was almost similar to Torralba's, lamenting how the fighting between warring generals in Sudan affected civilians like them.

"Sa tapat ng bahay namin, limang bomba 'yung sumabog doon kaya kahit delikado ang buhay namin pinilit naming makaalis doon para lang maisalba namin ang buhay namin," Andal said.

"Naging mahirap po ang sitwasyon naming mga Pilipino doon dahil kami ay naiipit sa awayan nila," he said.

REPATRIATION EFFORTS

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it is currently looking at repatriating 586 Filipinos from the conflict-torn country, but noted some challenges.

Renting vans is costly, while many signified their intention to flee from Sudan. The Egyptian government, on the other hand, takes a while to process documents from travelers amid a swathe of people coming from the border.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega in a public briefing on Friday said that the lack of travel documents from Filipinos also delayed their entry to Egypt, where the country's embassy is.

"Once naman maitawid na natin sila sa border meron na silang travel documents, dinadala natin sila sa Cairo para agad natin silang ma-book ng repatriation flight," said Armand Dulay, DFA's acting director at the Office of Migrant Workers.

The agency expects 40 people arriving on May 2, Dulay said, adding that a total of 610 Filipinos have so far been evacuated.

"So we're thinking, there's still about a 100 to 140 Filipinos na nandoon pa na hindi na nag-si-signify ng intention nila na ma-repatriate," he added.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Department of Migrant Workers said they are also providing assistance.

Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary Vennie Legaspi said they distributed emergency kits that have toiletries and basic necessities, as well as financial assistance, to returning Filipinos from Sudan.

Fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan's army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary RSF commanded by his deputy-turned-rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Hospitals have been shelled and more than two-thirds are out of service, the doctors' union said, reporting at least eight civilians killed in Khartoum alone on Wednesday.

The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- need aid.

The violence has trapped many civilians in their homes, where they have endured severe food, water and electricity shortages.

— With a report from Agence France-Presse

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